Harness mechanism for looms.



H. LE DOUX.

HARNESS MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14. 1915.

1,161,39Q, PatentedNov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET L COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINOTDN n c H. LE DOUX.

HARNESS MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14. 1915.

Llmfim, I Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TlTTTTED STATES rarnivr pron.

HECTOR LE DOUX, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO CROMPTON &

KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, MASSACHUSETTS.

OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF HARNESS MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Application filed January 14, 1915. Serial No. 2,152.

This invention relates to a harness mecha nism for looms and particularly to a mechanism for use in cross-weaving.

It is the object of my invention to provide improved mechanism for crossweaving which will be of a strong and durable construction and which will avoid the use of doups and other similar devices.

With this object in view my invention contemplates the use of a front harness of spe cial construction in which separate sets of needles extend toward the center line of the harness from the upper and lower harness frame members respectively, adjacent needles being separated by guide bars fixed in said members. The rear harness also is of special construction and the harnesses are relatively movable'horizontally as well as vertically.

My invention further relates to c'ertain devices, arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of my invention shown in the drawings in which Figure l is an end elevation, partly in section, of a portion of a loom with my improvements embodied therein; Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of a portion of one of the warp tension devices; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one end of the loom and of a portion of the harness mechanism; Fig. -l is an enlarged detail of a portion of the front harness; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the relative positions of the warp threads on successive picks; Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views taken along the line 67 in Fig. 3 and showing the warps-in two different positions; Fig. 8 is a cross section of one of the needles, and Fig. 9 is a plan view of one form of weave which may be produced by the use of the harness mechanism herein described.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown my improved harness mechanism attached to a loom which in most respects is of the usual construction. The frame 10 is provided with bearings for the crank shaft 11, the warp beam 12 and the bottom or cam shaft 13. The loom is also provided with the usual lay 14- and reedl5, operated from the crank shaft 11 through the connecting arm 16.

The warp threads are taken from a single beam 12 and are separated into three portions, A, B and C, each portion being carried over a separate whip roll or tensioning device, these devices being respectively designated'l'i, 18 and 19. The tension devices 17 and 19 are (Fig. 2) secured at one end to a bearing 31 and at the opposite end to an adjustable collar 22 upon a rod 23 which constitutes the pivot of the tension device. The tension of the spring is so arranged that the device will. apply constant tension to the warp.

The tension device 18 is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 2% through which a coil spring 25 is operative to tension the warp C. As one half of the warp threads upon the beam 12 are disposed in the center warp C, while only one-quarter of the threads are disposed in each of the needle warps A and B, the spring 25 is made stronger than the springs 20 and applies greater tension to the device 18 and the warp C The harness mechanism comprises a front harness 30 and a rear harness 31, both supported at each end upon a vertical shaft 32 which in turn is rotatably supported by a bracket 33 secured to the frame 10.

The front harness comprises end frames 34: and upper and lower frame members and 36. A series of parallel rods or guide bars 37 Fig. 4) have their opposite ends fixed in the frame members 35 and 36. Two series of needles 38 and 39 are also supported in the frame members 35 and 36 respectively, the needles extending from the frame members substantially to the/center line of the harness and being (Fig. 8) at their free ends.

Projections 41 and 42 are secured to the end frames 34 of the front harness, said projections having holes extending vertically therethrough and being freely slidable upon a rod 43 carried by arms 44 fixed to the vertical shaft 32.

The mechanism for moving the front har-.

provided with eyes 40 ness transversely'to the warp comprises a cam 45 (Fig. 1) fixed to a stud shaft a6 rotatably' mounted in the loom frame 10 and carrying a gear 47 meshing with a pinion t8 upon the bottom shaft 13. The cam L5 engages a cam roll 49 upon a lever 50 pivoted at 51 to the loom frame and connected at its outer end to a vertically extending rod 52.

The rod 52 at its upper end is joined to a chain or other flexible member 53 which passes over a guide pulley 54 and is connect ed to a collar 55 upon the vertical rod 43. A coupling 56 provides means for adjusting the length of the connecting rod 52. Through these connections the cam 45 produces intermittent transverse movements of the front harness in one direction, while precisely similar mechanism upon the opposite end of the loom produces similar intermittent movements in the opposite direction.

As shown in the drawings, the cam shaft 46 makes one revolution for every two revolutions of the bottom shaft 13, whereby the harness is shifted in one direction or the other after each two picks of the shuttle. The gears 47 and 18 may be so proportioned, however, as to produce any other desired relation between the movements of the harness and the picks of the shuttle. Upper and lower guide rods 60 and 61 (Fig. 1) are supported upon brackets 62 secured to the rear side of the front harness 30, these rods serving to separate the needle warps A and B so as to permit the move ment of the center warp 0 between the warps A and B. After passing over the guide rods 60 and 61, the warp threads are passed through the eyes 40 of the needles 38 and 39. The threads of the warp A are carried by the lower needles 39 while the threads of the warp B are carried by the upper needles 38. The guide rods 60, and 61 are also provided with perforated plates 63 and 64; mounted adjacent said rods and serving to properly separate and aline the warp threads as they approach the needles.

The rear harness 31 comprises an angle bar having a series of perforations 71 (Fig. 3) in its upright portion through which extend the threads of the warps C. The bar 70 is supported upon arms 72 (Fig. 1) extending rearwardly from collars 73 vertically slidable upon the upright shaft 32.

The harnesses 30 and 31. are'provided with connections 74 and 75 to any suitable dobby mechanism by which they may be given vertical movements in the desired sequence. Springs 7 6 and 77 extend downward from the harnesses to fixed portions of the loom return the harnesses to their lower positions when released by the dobby.

In the. operation of the loom the harnesses are moved alternately from the relative position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 7 and it will be evident that the shed is formed alternately below and above the needle warps A and B, which warps together always constitute a single shed, while the center warp C constitutes the other shed. While the sheds are being formed alternately as described, the front harness 30 is shifted transversely of the warp at each alternate pick by the cams 45 operating through the levers 50 and the connections and 53. This transverse movement of the harness results in reversing the crossing of the warps threads after every two picks and the provision of needles extending alternately from opposite harness frame members causes the crossing of the warp to occur after different picks for each alternate pair of warp threads.

It will be noted that two warp threads are disposed between each pair of guides 37, one thread being carried by the needle and the other thread being carried by the rear harness. In Fig. 5 I have indicated diagrammatically the successive relative positions of the warp thread C relative to the needle warp thread A or B.

In Fig. 9 I have indicated the character of the cloth which will be produced by the use of the mechanism shown in the drawings. This drawing shows that each filling thread passes alternately over and under successive pairs of warp threads while the warp threads pass alternately over and under successive single filling threads. Each thread 0 is associated with a thread A or B, the thread C always crossing above a thread A but below a thread B. As previously stated the character of the weave may be modified by changing the speed of the cam as relative to the shaft 13.

Having thus described my invention it will be evident that other changes and modifications can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the claims, and I do not wish to be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, but lVhat I do claim is 1. In a loom, in combination, a front har ness having two sets of oppositely disposed needles, each set controlling a needle warp, a rear harness controlling a center warp, and means for positioning and changing the transverse relation of said harnesses, said means eoi'nprising a pair of vertical shafts constituting guides for the back harness and mounted for angular movement only in brackets fixed to the loom frame, a pair of vertical rods constituting guides for the front harness and each supported upon arms mounted to swing upon one of said shafts, and cam-operated means effective to swing said arms to shift said front harness transversely relatively to the back harness.

A harness mechanism for looms, comprising a front harness movable both vertically and transversely in said loom, a back harness movable vertically only in said loom, and means for moving said harnesses, said front harness comprising upper and lower frame members, a series of separated guides fixed in said members, and a needle between each two guides, said needles being supported alternately upon the upper and lower frame members and extending substantially to the center line of said harness, and each needle having an eye therein near its free end.

3. A harness mechanism for looms, comprising a front harness movable both vertically and transversely in said loom, a back harness movable vertically in said loom, and means for moving said harnesses, said front harness comprising upper and lower frame members, guides and needles supported on said frame members, and upper and lower guide rods attached to and movable with said front harness, said rods being closely adjacent the front harness frame members and having their path of movement located between the front and rear harnesses.

4. A harness mechanism for looms, comprising a front harness movable both vertically and transversely in said loom, a back harness movable vertically in said loom, and means for moving said harnesses, said front harness comprising upper and lower frame members, guides and needles supported on said frame members, upper and lower guide rods attached to and movable with said front harness, and warp separating plates mounted adjacent said rods and'movable therewith.

5. A harness mechanism for looms comprising a front harness movable vertically and transversely in said loom, a back harness movable vertically in said loom, and means for moving said harnesses, said front harness comprising upper and lower frame members, and guides and needles supported on said frame members, and said back harness comprising a transverse bar having a series of perforations therein adapted to receive the back harness warp threads and to separate and guide said threads.

6. A harness mechanism for looms comprising a front harness, a back harness, and mechanism for moving said harnesses, said front harness comprising upper and lower frame members, a series of separated guides fixed in said members and forming a series of substantially rectangular harness apertures, and a plurality of needles fixed alternately to said frame members and each having an eye in its free end for supporting a warp thread substantially centrally of one of said apertures, the warp threads from the back harness each passing through one of said front harness apertures, and said harness moving mechanism being effective to move said back harness threads relatively to the needle threads successively to each corner of said apertures.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HECTOR LE DOUX.

Witnesses:

E. H. RYoN, CHAs. T. HAWLEY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

